Top 25 MAC Basketball Players: #17 Kenny Kaminski (F - Ohio)

This year's Ohio Bobcats are going to look and play a lot differently than last year's version. Kenny Kaminski is a big part of Ohio's potential resurgence.

At 6'8" and 225 pounds, Kaminski has the size to be a dominant post force in a conference where big, bulky centers aren't the norm. Ohio, though, has Antonio Campbell to score inside and in an admittedly very small sample size Kaminski, can shoot it. In his one season with the Michigan State Spartans, Kaminski shot a ridiculous 49 percent from deep. It's highly unlikely he can shoot that well in taking more shots per game, but it isn't out of the question that he can shoot at a similar clip.

The Bobcats' offense is going to need Kaminski to reach its potential. Last year, Saul Phillips' offense was bogged down by two point guards - Stevie Taylor and Javarez 'Bean' Willis, both of whom graduated - who more often than not looked for their own shot. The presumed starter this year is Jaaron Simmons and Simmons is the opposite of Taylor and Willis. He's quick, explosive and makes decisive decisions.

As the Post noted last week, the 'Cats are going to run 'HORNS' this year. 'HORNS' is a set that many NBA teams run, but even with less space in inside, it can work in college. There a number of variations, but many of them require the 'four' - the position Kaminski plays - to score in the pick and roll or spot up outside the perimeter. These are spots on the floor where Kaminski will thrive and it helps that he and Simmons were AAU teammates. The core Ohio's assumed starting five - Simmons, Kaminski and Campbell - should be able to HORNS with precision.

Defensively, Kaminski is a tad slow and that kept him off the floor at Michigan State. He's arguable Ohio's best player, so that won't happen here but it figures to be interesting to see how Ohio deploys Kaminski. He can probably play some five - which means you can slide Treg Setty down the four - or Wadly Mompremier, who hasn't played much in his first two years, can play next to him and provide rim protection. Campbell, though, figures to play most of the minutes next to Kaminski and as good as that duo will be on offense, there are valid defensive concerns regarding that duo.

Even so, Kaminski is going to be very, very good for the Bobcats. If he's as good as he can be, Ohio might be back near the top of the MAC.